Peat moss belongs to the genus sphagnum and is a plant that grows from the top while the bottom part dies and changes into peat. Peat moss is a combination of celluloses, lignins, and humic acids. The peat moss leaf is one cell-layer thick. The peat moss or sphagnum cells are thin-walled with large cavities and readily absorb and transport water. These cells have lignified walls. Peat moss absorbs relatively large amounts of water and has the ability to hold that water and, hence, peat moss has found considerable use in the horticultural industry. Furthermore, it is known to use peat moss as an absorbent dressing including a sanitary napkin, tampon, or even in a diaper. It has also been known to form paper from peat moss, and peat moss has been and is presently used as a fuel. In recent years, water treatment techniques have been developed which utilize peat moss. While peat moss has found wide acceptance in horticultural and similar uses, it has not found wide acceptance in absorbent dressing uses. Even though it has excellent absorbent properties, it is believed it has not found use in absorbent dressings because of its color problems; that is, the consumer or user does not like the unduly dark color of peat moss. There are a number of known techniques for bleaching the lignin in various materials such as wood pulp; however, it is believed nobody has been able to obtain peat moss having an acceptable color while maintaining its desirable absorptive characteristics. When utilizing standard bleaching operations in the bleaching of peat moss, the structure of the peat moss is degraded and its absorbent characteristics unduly reduced.